Poll: Over 60% Say Taxes Too High

The Associated Press conducted a recent poll on taxes which found the public is still behind President Bush's tax cut proposal.  The poll also found a strong majority of Americans believe they are taxed too heavily.

The poll is based on telephone interviews with 1,014 adults from all states except Alaska and Hawaii. The results were weighted to represent the population by demographic factors such as age, sex, region and education.

The poll's questions:

1. Based on what you have read or heard, do you favor or oppose the federal income tax cuts President Bush has proposed?

--Favor, 48 percent

--Oppose, 32 percent

--Don't know, 19 percent

--Refused, 1 percent

2. Which do you favor more: (A) cutting taxes for people in all income brackets or (B) tax cuts targeted to lower- and middle-income families?

--Cut taxes in all income brackets, 47 percent

--Tax cuts targeted to lower and middle-income families, 47 percent

--Neither, 3 percent

--Don't know-refused, 3 percent

3. How do you feel about the income taxes you currently pay? Do you think your taxes are too high, too low, or about right?

--Too high, 62 percent

--Too low, 1 percent

--About right, 34 percent

--Don't know-refused, 3 percent

4. Thinking about the federal income tax cuts Bush has proposed, do you expect your taxes to go down a lot, go down a little, or not go down at all?

--Go down a lot, 6 percent

--Go down a little, 50 percent

--Not go down at all, 36 percent

--Don't know-refused, 8 percent

5. If President Bush's tax cuts are passed into law, do you think that would improve the economy, make the economy worse or have no real effect?

--Improve the economy, 35 percent

--Make it worse, 18 percent

--Have no real effect, 36 percent

--Don't know-refused, 11 percent